EDWARD WESTON - Tina withj Tears, Mexico City 1923 Tina Modotti and Edward Weston travelled to Mexico in 1923 at the start of an extraordinary period of artistic creativity that became known as the Mexican Renaissance. Although often perceived as being principally embodied by the politically motivated work of Diego Rivera, David Alfaro Siqueiros and José Clemente Orozco, the Mexican Renaissance was shaped by the contribution of dozens of artists, both Mexicans and expatriates, and gave rise to an exceptionally hospitable environment for innovative art-making. The work Modotti and Weston made in the 1920s marks the beginning of a Modernist photographic aesthetic that left an indelible mark on the history of photography in Mexico. Each contributed to this history individually: Modotti is known for beautiful still-lifes that gave way to Modernist images of Mexican workers and poetic revolutionary icons. Weston’s Pictorialist-influenced imagery was abandoned in favour of sharp, clear, ‘straight’ photographs and an engagement with form. Also included in this exquisitely produced book is a selection of images by two Mexican photographers, Manuel Álvarez Bravo and Mariana Yampolsky, whose work was influenced by these two foreigners. Weston and Modotti traveled to Mexico together in 1923 at the beginning of their love affair—he, to seek an artistic artistic breakthrough, and she, to craft her skills as a photographer. The trip transformed both of their artistic visions and "marks the beginning of a modernist photographic aesthetic." Modotti's fascination with the social conditions in Mexico and Weston's formalized response to the landscape present a compelling visual and intellectual juxtaposition. Their shared eye for composition, their influence upon each other, and their individualized responses to post-revolutionary Mexico of the 1920s reveal a palpable chemistry between them. This exquisite presentation of photographs comments not only on the collaborative artistic process, but reveals how two artists can influence and inspire each other, yet remain very separate, distinctive individuals—a comment on human love and relationships on a grand scale.